Vermilion man sentenced in wife's death

Editor's note: If you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm, call or text the 988 lifeline. VERMILION — A Vermilion man was sentenced Tuesday after previously pleading guilty in connection with his wife's September 2024 death. Michael J. Krupienski, 72, of the 900 block of Nautical Drive, was convicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony. Krupienski pleaded guilty to the single charge on Sept. 3, in exchange for the dismissal of six additional felony charges, including murder, reckless homicide and assisting suicide. Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Beverly McGookey sentenced Krupienski to serve nine to 12 years in prison. Krupienski additionally received credit for having served a little over a year in jail and will be placed on a mandatory term of five years post-release control, according to court records. Background Vermilion police arrested Krupienski after he allegedly made a phone call to police in the early morning hours of Sept. 29, 2024, stating that his wife shot herself in the head, according to a Vermilion police report. Once officers and first responders arrived at the residence, his wife, Marie Krupienski, 81, was pronounced deceased, the report states. The Register does not typically identify those who die by suicide, but is doing so due to the felony-level charges filed relating to her death. An officer began to speak with Michael Krupienski about what had occurred. Michael Krupienski told the officer that he and his wife had been drinking most of the day prior. He explained that his wife was upset due to the anniversary of a close relative who died by suicide several years earlier, the report states. When asked about the gun his wife used to shoot herself, Michael Krupienski admitted to giving his wife the loaded gun and that she had made suicidal statements in the past, the report states. Erie County prosecutor Kevin Baxter previously told the Register that he pursued a murder charge against Michael Krupienski due to circumstantial evidence and inconsistent statements made by Krupienski when questioned.